After decades of blending art and faith during their missionary work in France, Russell and Carol Barr have returned home to Missouri, where they’re sharing their passions through a new pottery studio in Excelsior Springs.
Plans to restore Lithia Well No. 1 are moving forward, thanks to the Friends of the Wells (FOW) Committee, as Excelsior Springs works to reclaim its reputation as a destination for mineral waters.
What began as a farmer’s desperate search for a cure in 1880 became the foundation of Excelsior Springs, a town built on the healing power of its iron-rich mineral waters.
After 14 years of spreading kindness and care as a custodian at the Early Childhood Center, Lenny Smith—better known as “Papa Lenny”—is hanging up his mop and stepping into retirement, leaving behind a legacy of heartfelt connections and community spirit in Excelsior Springs.
